What do you love for Valentine’s Day?  How about a possibility for the USA to move towards transformation?  It is hard to believe we may see some governmental support for Alternative and Renewable Energy & Technology: Green Building, Solar, Wind, Plug in Electric Vehicles, a Smart Grid, the fact that these are finally being recognized is a demonstration of love of our earth and humanity, consciousness growing– on Valentine’s Day in the USA. Here is what appears to be in the box of candy, but one never knows when you bite into it, what is on the inside….

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (H.R.1), passed by Congress today is expected to be forwarded, and signed into law shortly.
Highlights from the Stimulus Package are:
 
 

 

Renewable Energy Incentives

$20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency over 10 years, including: extending tax credits for energy produced from wind, geothermal, hydropower and landfill gas; (This is very exciting!)
grants to build renewable energy facilities ;(hope many can benefit, this is great especially if policy comes into play to inspire people towards transformation)
tax credits for purchases of energy-efficient furnaces, windows and doors, or insulation;(NYSERDA co-generation, heat coolant geothermal?)
tax credit for families that purchase plug-in hybrid vehicles (finally incentives, the Electric Vehicle will indeed be resurrected, and with better batteries: A123 )

Energy
About $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy, (ok, this gets us going!) including
$5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes;
$6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; (this merits further discussion later)
$11 billion toward a so-called “smart electricity grid” —Yes, it is so anitquated our Grid, it’s time to reduce waste;
$13.9 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects (Elation!  World Team -Dream to Reality);
$6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants(NYSERDA’s deserves support for their programs)
$4.5 billion make federal buildings more energy efficient (“Got to be the change ….”)

Elated about most of this but,  we will discuss the nuclear waste issue when we are not in a mode of gratitude…

Science
$3 billion for the National Science Foundation for basic science and engineering research; (Yes, hopefully explore the ocean and more with Tidal Energy)
$1 billion for NASA;
$1.6 billion research in areas such as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics and nuclear physics. .

Infrastructure
$46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair;
$8.4 billion for mass transit;
$8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak;
$4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers;
$4 billion for public housing improvements;
$6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects;
$7 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas.

Expanded college credit
About $13 billion to provide a $2,500 expanded tax credit for college tuition and related expenses for 2009 and 2010. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $160,000.

It will be interesting to see what legislation actually goes into effect and becomes solid. We focused on the legislation that aligned with the core competencies of the work we have been focused on developing with World Team for almost two decades.  The other issues are significant as well but, and like cells of our body all contribute to the whole of this will become emergent.